X-Factors: Oakland Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

X-Factors for both the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, looking ahead to their Week 8 matchup.

On the second leg of a two-week trip in the state of Florida, the (5-2) Oakland Raiders have the (3-3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers up next.

Not to sound cliche, but I’m going to sound cliche — every game right now is important, and the Raiders have an opportunity to move to 6-2 on the season. That would be an incredible start, but the Bucs have plans of their own, looking to turn their two-game win streak into a three-game win streak.

With injuries starting to pile up, it’s becoming more important than ever for teams across the NFL to embrace a “next man up” philosophy. Or even outside of injuries, in order to avoid being figured out, teams also need unsung heroes to step up and perform.

With that being said, let’s take a look at some x-factors for the Week 8 contest between the Raiders and the Bucs.

October 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Seth Roberts (10) during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Coliseum. The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Seth Roberts

JBB Staff Writer Maliik Obee laid out a great case for Seth Roberts being the key to success for the Oakland offense on Sunday, and I agree with him.

Tampa has a talented pair of outside CBs in Vernon Hargreaves and Brent Grimes, but their slot CB, Jude Adjei-Barimah, is having a rough year.

As Maalik explained:

According to a Pro Football Focus study released on October 20, Barimah allowed a passer rating of 127.8 when targeted. Knee injuries have hobbled Adjei-Barimah, as well as fighting cornerback Alterraun Verner for playing time.

So he’s been dealing with a knee injury, and also generally just getting torched. That swings the door wide open for Seth to step up and have a big day. Roberts has rarely put together a big stat line, but he has a knack for the end zone — especially late in games. If he can do so on Sunday, that could go a long way in helping the Raiders move to 6-2 on the season.

Aug 26, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end John Hughes (93) pushes Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber (43) out of bounds after first down yardage during the second quarter of a football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Barber

Mike Evans is the obvious player to watch out for and based on recent performance, Jacquizz Rodgers stands out as another important player for the Bucs offense — but we’ll go with Peyton Barber as the x-factor.

An undrafted free agent out of Auburn, Barber got his first extended run last week against the Niners. He carried the ball 12 times for 84 yards — good for a very impressive mark of 7 yards per carry. He also scored a touchdown, and he could be used as Tampa’s goal-line back going forward.

A bigger back that is a powerful runner, he could pose a problem for Oakland’s run defense that ranks 28th in yards allowed per game, with 128.3.

Oct 9, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback Sean Smith (21) is congratulated by linebacker Shilique Calhoun (91) after intercepting a pass against the San Diego Chargers in the first quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Smith

I usually try to avoid the notable names as x-factors, but with Mike Evans on the opposing sideline, Sean Smith has to be the pick.

It’s been no secret that it’s been an up and down year for Smith, although there have been more good weeks than bad weeks if we throw out the first two games. Allen Robinson was held to just 2 catches and 9 yards, with a combination of Blake Bortles’ ineffectiveness and Sean Smith’s coverage as the reason why.

Let’s hope that similar things can be said for Mike Evans after the game is over.

As pointed out in our “Get to Know” series, Evans is a top 10 receiver. The third-year wide receiver is tied for 6th in the NFL in receptions (40), 10th in receiving yards (545) but 5th in receiving yards per game (90.8), tied for 1st in touchdowns (6), 1st in first downs (34) and 3rd in targets (75).

The responsibility of slowing down Evans will largely fall on the shoulder of Sean Smith, making him an x-factor the Raiders on Sunday.

Oct 23, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back DuJuan Harris (32) carries the ball against Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves (28) during the third quarter at Levi

Vernon Hargreaves III

The Bucs defense has several standout players who all would have been worthy of being named here. Any of the linebackers come to mind, as well as a couple of others. But for an x-factor, Hargreaves is the guy.

The 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft is yet to record his first career interception, but it’s only a matter of time before that happens. With his athleticism and ball skills, he’s capable of getting an interception at any given time.

But with Derek Carr and his two No. 1 wide receivers headed to town, Hargreaves will have his hands full on Sunday, but hopefully not due to interceptions.

Guarding either Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree will be a tough task for the rookie corner, but if he rises to the challenge and contains his matchup, that will limit the Raiders offense in a big way.